Stansted Mountfichet 1848 Whites directory
STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET is a small ancient town, with many good houses and shops, pleasantly situated on and near the Newmarket road , from 3 to 4 miles N. by E. of Bishop Startford, and 19 miles N.W. of Chelmsford. Its parish has a Station on the North Eastern Railway, and contains 1637 inhabitants and 4094 acres of land, including BENTFIELD hamlet, which is in Clavering Hundred, and contains 496 souls and about 800 acres, in close proximity with the town, which is commonly called Stansted Street, and is distant more than half amile N.W. of the church, and has a fair for cattle, &c. on May 1st, and on the day following for toys, &c. Its name Stansted, or Stone Street, was probably derived from a vicinal way, which branched off from the Great Roman road near Bishop Stortford, and passed northward to Chesterford, nearly in the line of the present turnpike.
The appellation Mountfitchet, appears to have been given it in contradistinction to Stansted, in Hertfordshire, and probably arose from a large artificial mount, on which stood the keep of a Castle, erected by William Gernon, who assumed the surname of Mont-fitchet, and inherited the lordship from his father Robert Gernon, to whom it had been given, with many others in this county, by the Conqueror. After the erection of the Castle, it became the head of the great Barony of Montfitchet, and some traces of the fortress are yet visible, about a quarter of a mile from the church, near a rivulet which falls into the Stort, on the south-west side of the parish. On the death of Richard de Montfitchet, without issue, in 1258, the barony was divided among his three sisters, and Stansted fell to the share of Margery, wife of Hugh de Bolebec. After remaining several generations with his family, it was sold to Thomas de Vere, a son of the third Earl of Oxford. W. F. Maitland, Esq., is the present lord of the manor of Stansted Hall with Burnels and Bury Lodge, and resides at STANSTED House, a large and handsome modern mansion, situated near the railway, in an extensive and well-wooded park of rich grazing land, not far from the lofty hill, on the summit of which there still remains one of the towers of Stansted Hall, an ancient mansion, which commanded extensive prospects, and was the seat of the Maitlands till they erected the present more extensive and commodious residence, some years ago. The manor of Bentfield-bury has been held by the Vere, Hubert, Middleton, and Heath families, but now belongs to Robert Gosling, Esq. Mrs. Rainsford, Mr. Matthew Woodley, E. Cornell, and many smaller owners have estates in the parish, mostly copyhold, subject to arbitrary fines. Hargrove Lodge, the seat of Mrs. Rainsford, is a large handsome mansion in the castellated style, with tasteful pleasure grounds. Thremhall Priory stood within the bounds of this parish, about two miles S.E. of the church, and was founded by Gilbert de Montfitchet, soon after the Conquest, for Benedictine canons. Its chief endowments were derived from that family and the de Veres. On its suppression, its annual income was valued at £70. 19s. 3d. , according to Speed. The site of the priory was afterwards held by the Carey, Glascock, Ray, and Wyatt families, and
one of the Rays built a neat house upon it.
The parish Church (Virgin Mary,) stands near the park, and was a small ancient fabric, but was much enlarged and the decayed parts restored in 1829, at the cost of £1385. It has a brick tower, which contains five bells, and was rebuilt about 1690, by Sir Stephen Langham, who also rebuilt the porch, and newly ceiled the church. The interior has now a handsome appearance, and still retains some of the ancient carved seats. In consideration of a grant of £200 from the Society for enlarging churches, &c. , 200 additional free were provided in 1829. The font is rudely sculptured, and bears marks of great antiquity. On the north side of the chancel is the mutilated effigy of a Crusader ; and on the floor is a small brass plate, inscribed to the memory of Robert de Bok-kyng, the first vicar, who died in 1361. Against the south wall is a handsome marble monument in memory of Sir Thos. Middleton, Kt. , who is represented in a recumbent posture, in plate armour, with gilt studs. He died in 1631 , aged 81, and a long Latin inscription records his virtues and his extensive knowledge in the languages, merchandise, and manners of foreign countries.
The church was appropriated to Thremhall Priory, and the impropriate rectory now belongs to W. F. Maitland, Esq. , who is also patron of the discharged vicarage, valued in K.B. at £13s. 6s. 8d. , and in 1831 at £300, and now in the incumbency of the Rev. Josias Torriano, M.A., who has a good residence and 2A. of glebe. The tithes were commuted in 1840, the rectorial for £315 15s., and the vicarial for £306. Here is a Friends’ Meeting-house, and also two Independent Chapels, one erected in 1822, in the Bentfield part of the town, and the other founded in the 17th century by the Nichols and other nonconformist families of the neighbourhood. Here is a large and handsome Charity School, erected in 1838, at the cost of £700, and supported chiefly by subscription, and the parish has various Charities for the relief of the poor; and a small British School, erected in 1835. In 1593, Edward Hubbard left a yearly rent-charge of 40s. out of Barker’s Mead, (30A. ,) to be applied to the use of the church. In 1609, Elizabeth Cook, alias Chapman, left for the relief of the poor parishioners, about 2A., at Great Hallingbury, called Ball’s Croft, now let for £4. 10s. a year. They have also a yearly rent-charge of 20s., given by Jas. and Harriet Browne, in 1610, out of a field here, called Revell’s, now belonging to Mr. Spencer. In 1620, Robert Buck left property to the Drapers’ Company, London, chargeable with providing yearly, materials for clothing three poor men and three poor women, and with 10s. a piece in money, to buy them shoes and hose. He directed that this charity should be received in rotation by this parish and those of Ugley and Manewden. About 1660, Dionysius Palmer charged a house and land, at Bishop’s Stortford, with the yearly payment of £2. 15s. to this parish, to be distributed in weekly doles of bread, except 2s. for the vicar, and 1s. for the churchwardens, for their trouble in distributing the same. In 1758, Kitty Rush left £100 for the poor parishioners, and it was afterwards laid out, with £14, parish money, in the pur-chase of a copyhold cottage and barn. Out of the rent of these premises, £5 is applied to the funds of the Charity School. In 1825, Maria Brent left for the poor £500, which was vested in the purchase of £459 9s. new 35 per cent. Reduced Annuities, the dividends of which are distributed by the churchwardens in January. They also distribute among the poor parishioners £6 yearly as the rent of 4A. , called Battles Field, purchased in 1723, with £60, left by Gertrude Peck. Four of the oldest widows have 10s. a year as the rent of an acre of land at Birchanger, left by Elizabeth Cook, in 1604. The parish is in Bishop Stortford Union.
STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET.
POST OFFICE at T. Hassall’s. Letters desp. 8 evening via Bishop Stortford
Bailey Mr. William
Bray Miss A.
Bedlow William, wheelwright
Boast William Anthony, professor of music
Brook Menasseh, surgeon
Canning Mrs. H., & Hy. & J. C., gents
Colls Thos. Reeve, excise officer
Davies Rev. Daniel (Independant minister)
Glyn Mrs. Eliz. Bentfield Cottage
Grange Benjamin, machine maker
Green Robert, letter carrier
Harle Thomas William, surgeon & druggist
Harley Mr. William
Laird Mr. Edw.
Hassall Thos. stationer, Post Office
Hicks Chas. & Edw. maltsters and hop merchants
Hockley Hy. relieving officer
Hutley Jas. gardener & seedsman
Lindsell Mrs. Martha
Maitland William Fuller, Esq. , Stansted House
Mitchell Jas. stationer & toy dealer
Mumford Mr. Jas.
Tripp Mrs. E.
Neville George, station master
Nockolds Arthur, auctioneer & land surveyor
Nockolds John Austin, land agent &
surveyor, Woodhouse
Osborne John, hair dresser
Peacock Sarah, clothes dealer
Pigram James, glover
Rainsford Mrs. Charlotte, Hargrove Lodge Raven George, brewer, &c.
Raven & Canning, brick & tile mkrs
Raven Mr. John, Grove Hill, (and wholesale stationer in London)
Raymont William corn merchant
Salmon Charles, baker
Sanders William, watch maker, & ironmonger
Scott Robert, police inspector
Scott Thomas, parish clerk
Sealy Mary, letter carrier
Snow John, bricklayer
Torriana Rev. Josias, M.A., vicar & rural dean
Welch Chas. Jas. gent. Pines Hill
Welch George, surgeon & supt. registrar of Bishop Stortford union
Welch Samuel, surgeon, (medical officer for Bishop Stortford union)
White Rev. John (Independant minister)
Wilson Mr. Thomas
FARMERS.
Clark Joshua, Bentfield end
Cornell Edmund, High lane
Dixon William
Mumford James
Griggs Thomas, Burton End
Hicks Chas. Bentfield Place
Newman Geo.
Newman John
Parris William ( & maltster,) Burton Bower
Phillips Edridge Peter
Rand Thomas
Raven George
Raven John
Spencer Chas. Bentfield Bury
Spencer Samuel, Norman House
Storry John, Bury Lodge
Tyler Jno. (brick mkr. ) Brick House
Woodley Matthew, maltster, merchant & high constable for Clavering Hundred, Bentfield Bower
Worman William
INNS & TAVERNS.
Bell, George Clark, (horse dealer)
King’s Arms, William Pickford
Rose & Crown, Thomas Lyles Titchmarsh
Three Colts, George Sanders, (coach builder)
ACADEMIES.
Bacon Mary
Baker Job
England Thomas
Jolly Sophia
Osborne Angna.
BEER HOUSES.
Alderton William
Carter Mary
Clark William – Windmill
Levey George, pig dealer
Paul Thomas – Victoria
Prior Sarah
Sanders George
Sanders Thomas
Say John
Snow Samuel
BLACKSMITHS.
Barron Henry
Brett Thomas
Brett William
Hayden James
BOOT & SHOE MAKERS.
Hassall Thomas
Josling James
Plasted John
Pledger Benjamin
Sawkins Thomas
BUTCHERS.
Carter Mary
Laird Edward
Mascall John
Payne George
Smith Robert
CARPENTERS, &c.
Levey Thomas
Sanders John H.
Sanders Richard
Sanders Thomas
CORN MILLERS.
Little Geo. & William
Phillips John
Smith Thomas
GROCERS AND DRAPERS.
Barnard Abm.
Green & Marsh
Legerton Louisa
Martin Jno. & Geo.
Sanders Samuel
Seamer Jno. registrar
MILLINERS.
Horsley Mary A.
Nottage Cath.
Piper Elizabeth
Rumball Mary
PLUMBERS, &c.
Ratcliff Henry
Ratcliff John
SADDLERS, &c.
Giffin George
Speller Newman
TAILORS .
Atkins John
Bacon William
Bradd William
Fennell John
Paul Thomas
RAILWAY
Trains to London, Cambridge, &c. several times a day
CARRIERS
Pass daily to London, Newmarket &c.